Music
These days, making music is mostly just a hobby for me.
Piano
I always consider Piano my first instrument. I was classically trained on the piano from the age of 6 up until I was about 17, and I passed my Grade 7 exam from the ABRSM in 2000. I studied partly for my Grade 8 exam the following, although I never actually sat it.
A lot of my time in my teenage years was spent teaching myself jazz piano. I was the pianist for my high schools' official jazz bands for 6 years, in addition to setting up my own jazz trio, called "Wallpaper Jazz", with friends from school. (We mostly played background music, and were never exactly highly paid!)
Jazz is still my preferred style, although I still play some classical music, and lots of Christian music (especially worship songs).
Chopin and Debussy are among my favourite composers of all time, although I appreciated Beethoven too.
If I can find the time, I would like to sit my Grade 8 exam, and possibly pursue a DipABRSM in Performance (Piano) thereafter. Depending on where life takes me, I may like to shoot for a LRSM as a piano teacher too someday.
Singing
For my final year of high school, I dropped piano lessons, and took up singing instead.
I joined 3 school choirs, took part in all the school shows/concerts, and even became part of a church choral group.
Ten months after starting singing lessons, I stopped (mostly just because I left high school), having achieved an Advanced Higher Music Performance (in singing), and a Grade 8 (with merit) from the ABRSM.
I began pursuing a DipABRSM in Performance (Voice) since then, although University studies got in the way. At one stage, it had been my plan to study for a BA degree in music, followed by a postgrad in opera... but things worked out rather differently!
Guitar
I studied classical guitar for a couple of years prior to high school, achieving a Grade 4 from Trinity College London in 1998.
Subsequently, I spent a couple of years getting lessons in blues guitar instead. Much more fun, but I can hardly remember any of it!
Theory of Music
As is the usual way, I took the Grade 5 exam in Theory of Music from the ABRSM, as it's a pre-requisite for sitting any further exams in other disciplines. I passed... but only just! I would really like to go back and take my theory qualifications up to Grade 8 sometime... but am sorely lacking the time just now!
Composition
From time to time, I write songs or compose pieces of music. Having never studied music as a subject in itself, most of my musicianship comes from instrument lessons or it is self-taught. It's enjoyable nonetheless, and that's what's important! :-)